Basil means royal or kingly — from the Greek basileus. Saint Basil the Great IS one of Christianity's most important theologians. Basil Fawlty IS TV's most hilariously incompetent hotelier. Two syllables of Christianity's-most-important-theologian, TV's-most-hilariously-incompetent, and Greek royal.
Saint Basil IS one of Christianity's most important.
Fawlty IS TV's most hilariously incompetent.
Two syllables with a refined, Greek sound: BAZ-il.
The meaning royal IS maximally kingly.
The most theologian-AND-comedy dual heritage.
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The vibe of Basil
royalkinglyGreekbasileusSaint Basil the GreattheologianFawltyhilariousincompetentrefined
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Origin & history of Basil
Greek basileus (king/royal)→Basil
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English / Greek / Latin roots
Basil means royal. Saint Basil IS one of Christianity's most important. Fawlty IS TV's most hilarious.
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First recorded
Earliest known use: Greek; Saint Basil (329–379 AD); Fawlty Towers (1975).
3
Today
Basil remains a beloved choice, ranking #2121 in the US. 13,438 babies have been named Basil since 1880.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, SSA data
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How popular is Basil?
1924peak year
The name Basil reached its peak in 1924, with 281 registrations (ranked #354). It first surfaced in U.S. records in 1880, roughly 44 years before its peak. Since the peak, the name has eased to well outside the top 1,000 (around #2121) today, averaging about 92 new babies per year. Basil's usage has held roughly steady recently. Across all years on record, approximately 13,438 American babies have carried this name.
Year-by-year registrations1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
Basil's Life Path 7 is the seeker's number — royal seeking. People named Basil tend to be refined, royal, and gifted at being the most important theologian AND TV's most hilarious.
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